Anti-Harassment Policy

Code for BTV's Anti-Harassment Policy

Code for BTV is a fun, safe place for people to work together and build neat things - harassment of any type is not accepted here.

Our anti-harassment policy was created by Code for America and is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers. This policy is also based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.

All Code for America network activities, events, and digital forums and their staff, presenters, and participants are held to an anti-harassment policy, included below.

In addition to governing our own events by this policy, Code for America will only lend their brand and fund groups that offer an anti-harassment policy to their attendees. For information on how to offer an anti-harassment policy to your group, see this guide.

Code for BTV is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of staff, presenters, and participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any Code for BTV event or network activity, including talks. Anyone in violation of these policies may expelled from Code for BTV network activities, events, and digital forums, at the discretion of the event organizer or forum administrator.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from Code for BTV network activities, events, and digital forums.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please tell someone immediately. During events you may pull any staff memer aside for assistance. You may also contact our brigade captains James Lockridge and Nick Floersch by email. Event staff or forum administrators will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event.

If you cannot reach an event organizer or forum administrator and/or it is an emergency, please call 911 and/or remove yourself from the situation. You can also contact Code for America about harassment at safespace@codeforamerica.org and feel free to use the email template below.

Lastly, please understand that our anti-harassment policy is not just PC boilerplate. James, Nick, Micah and all our organizers take it to heart; feeling safe and productive is a basic prerequisite for all the other great things we intend to do together.

Email Template for Anti-Harassment Reporting

SUBJECT: Safe Space alert at [EVENT NAME]

I am writing because of harassment at a Code for America Communities event, [NAME, PLACE, DATE OF EVENT].